The ATSC-M/H standard will enable delivery of television content and data to mobile and handheld devices via broadcast DTV signals. Features of the new system may include Free (advertiser supported) television content, mobile and handheld subscription-based TV, video-on-demand (VOD), pay-per-view (PPV) and electronic sell-through (EST) services, non-real-time content download, , Datacasting, Interactive television and Real-time navigation data for in-vehicle use

Preliminary proposals have been received from the following organizations:

DVB-T (Europe’s Terrestrial DTV). The DVB Project is the demonstrating a scheme that allows a DVB-T multiplex to contain one or more DVB-H services alongside a high-definition DVB-T service in the same 6 MHz channel. The co-existence of a 13.8 Mbps high-definition television signal and a 5.5 Mbps DVB-H signal within a 19.3 Mbps stream. It uses Hierarchical Modulation, embedded as a High Priority service within a Low Priority DVB-T stream.

ATSC wants to maintain compatibility with ATSC — and maintain their lock on ATSC royalties even though ATSC uses ghost-prone 8-VSB modulation rather than COFDM, which is generally thought to be better suited for the job.

Corporate media gets local television channels free — in exchange for “public service”. Now — apparently — pay TV will be classified as a “public service”, too, if the NAB gets its way with Mobile/Handheld services. Giving free licenses to corporate media may no longer be the best public policy — less than 15% of all tv viewers watch over-the-air.

ATSC can’t blame government policy. They were given the rope and hung themselves.

If Rupert Murdoch were the Angel Gabriel, you still wouldn’t want him owning the sun, the moon, and the stars. That’s too much prime real estate for even the pure in heart.

But Rupert Murdoch is no saint; he is to propriety what the Marquis de Sade was to chastity. When it comes to money and power he’s carnivorous: all appetite and no taste. He’ll eat anything in his path. Politicians become little clay pigeons to be picked off with flattering headlines, generous air time, a book contract or the old-fashioned black jack that never misses: campaign cash. He hires lobbyists the way Imelda Marcos bought shoes, and stacks them in his cavernous closet, along with his conscience…